By Ali Moosavi. Motamen has dabbled in many genres: noir, comedy, social-drama, romance, thriller. And even Dostoevsky.” Farzad Motamen is one of several Iranian directors who are well-known and respected in their homeland but remain largely unknown outside of Iran. Motamen is a self-confessed American B-Movie lover and fan of […]
The Brutality of Revenge: Robert Eggers The Northman
By Elias Savada. If you’re not having your senses bludgeoned by The Northman, you’ll admire all the historical detail and period madness. Fire and brimstone meet rot and decay, yet there’s ambition afoot here.” The dark intensity that has imbued director-writer Robert Eggers first two directorial features has matured with […]
Out-Cageing Himself: The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
By Elias Savada. Two-thirds broad comedy, one part chase film, it’s also a gimmick and an enjoyable bromance. Yeah, this is one nutty film. Its premise revolves around a famous actor named Nick Cage, played by the real Nicolas Cage. Two-thirds broad comedy, one part chase film, it’s not the […]
Restoring History: Nikolai Izvolov on the 2021 Restoration of Dziga Vertov’s The History of the Civil War
By Tony Williams. Nikolai Izvolov discusses his restoration of Dziga Vertov’s The History of the Civil War in 2021. In his recent review essay, Williams described the restoration as an interesting re-discovery not only for its role as one of Vertov’s early works but also in depicting images of an historical […]
The Once and Future Vertov: Dziga Vertov’s The History of the Civil War Restored by Nikolai Izvolov (1921/2021)
By Tony Williams. Thanks to the work of Russian archivist and film historian Nikolai Izvolov, both films are now available so viewers can see key examples of early Vertov made well before his celebrated documentary work and that contain glimpses of its legendary Kino Eye brand of documentary filmmaking.” It […]
The Agony and the Ecstasy: Jackass Forever
By James Slaymaker. How does an individual cope with growing old when they have become known to the world as an eternal child? This is the question that dominates Jerry Lewis’s late features, and it just as accurately describes the paradoxical combination of juvenile exhilaration and world-weary fatigue at the […]
Apichatpong Weerasethakul Invites 50 Filmmakers from Around the World to Join Him in the Jungle
April 14, 2022
Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s filmmaking lab to take place June 18-28, 2022 in the Amazon Apichatpong Weerasethakul invites filmmakers from around the world to apply to Playlab Films’ to participate in the “Apichatpong Weerasethakul Lab: Filming in the Amazon” workshop, which will take place June 18-28, 2022 in the Amazon. There are only two weeks left until the […]
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore – Missed Opportunities
By Elias Savada. Doesn’t rise to the heights it could. It’s a case of middle child syndrome, or someone’s just tired.” Even a lesser rate Harry Potter spin-off such as Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore — the latest in J.K. Rowling’s post-Harry Potter series — should be enough for […]
Blacula’s 50th Anniversary: The Original Black Cinematic Vampire
By Melanie A. Marotta. The difference between Prince Mamualde and Blacula is indicated by Blacula’s bushy eyebrows, fangs, and pork chop sideburns. The costuming of Prince Mamualde—in a suit and cape—however is befitting a prince. It is this prince and his anti-racist message that should be honored on Blacula’s 50th […]
The Surprise of Genre-Blending: Laurent Larivière and Freya Mavor on À Propos de Joan (About Joan)
By Yun-hua Chen. [Blending of genres] was a desire of mine to surprise the viewer, so that the audience does not settle into something and know what’s going to happen.” Director Laurent Larivière’s second feature À Propos de Joan, premiered at the Berlinale Special Gala, is a French, German and […]